Sitting down

These days writing is its own reward for me. Even if it hasn’t been a fabulous writing day—if I’ve felt a bit stiff, or the words have been slow to find their way to the page—I feel good about having written because I’ve honored the […]

Reading Ann Patchett’s delightful collection of essays, “This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage,” I was reminded of what I call “diving deeper” into moments in my writing. When Ann creates a metaphor or offers a musing, instead of quickly moving on to the […]

When we are engaged in a writing project, it’s only natural that we think about the whole, from the very first to the very last words. We were taught to do this as early as junior high school, when we learned to write the five-paragraph […]

Recently, one of the writers I’m working with was given a deadline to produce a document needed by a colleague. “Having a deadline feels like a relief,” she admitted. “Even if I have to stay up all night, I know I’ll get the writing done.” […]

I’ve been needing to heed my own advice these days. As I find myself with a book to appear in the fall, paradoxically, I also find myself not writing. In all my years of creating books and essays, I’ve never before experienced this void. I […]

Thinking Small About Promoting My Book I should be thrilled. I just found out that my book “Small: The Little We Need for Happiness” will be published in September or October. I’ve been looking forward to this publication for years—all the years that I’ve been […]

Finding the Time to Write I recently began working with a new writer who leads a very full life. She’s a professional, has two young children and is active in her community. “I know I’m really busy,” she told me, “but I’ve been creating this […]

I’ve written about this before, but the problem comes up so often, I think it bears reflecting upon again: What do you do when you find yourself avoiding writing? This situation often arises with the writers I work with. They might willingly commit to writing […]

If you’ve been working on a particular writing project for some time—a story, a novel, or a memoir—and begin feeling uninspired, lackluster, or unable to write, is it a good idea to take a break from writing? This is a natural question for a writer […]

After I received a contract for my book Small: The Little We Need for Happiness several months ago, I found myself at a loss for what I could now begin writing. I had spent so much of the previous few years writing and revising the essays, then submitting the manuscript to small presses, that its acceptance at Shanti Arts left a surprising vacuum in my life.